1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electric junction box mounted to a vehicle and the like, particularly relates to an electric junction box provided with an electrical component mount portion and a bus bar for conduction with the electrical component mount portion.
2. Description of Related Art
Electric junction boxes, such as relay boxes, fuse boxes, and the like, are conventionally used in vehicles and the like, in order to improve efficiency of electric wiring and maintenance performance. Electrical components, such as relays, fuses, and the like, and conducting members, such as bus bars and the like, are appropriately mounted to a box main body of an electric junction box. Electric power from a battery and the like is thus supplied to vehicle electrical components.
An electric junction box to which a relatively large electric current is supplied, such as a relay box and the like provided proximate to a battery, has a relatively wide bus bar as a conducting member. In order to mount a wide bus bar while preventing enlargement of the electric junction box, a vertical bus bar is conventionally employed, the vertical bus bar being housed perpendicular to a first surface (front surface) of a box main body to which a mount portion for electrical components, such as a relay and a fuse, is provided. Such a vertical bus bar is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. H10-322855, for instance. To the vertical bus bar, an electrical component mounted to the electrical component mount portion is connected to a connection portion provided to a first end edge portion in a width direction, and an external connector terminal is connected to a connection portion provided to a second end edge portion, the external connector terminal being housed in a connector fitting peripheral wall provided open to a second surface (rear surface) of the box main body.
In order to employ the vertical bus bar and to connect the electrical component and an external wire, however, it is required to provide a cut-out to a peripheral wall of a connector housing portion open to the second surface (rear surface) of the box main body, and then to insert the vertical bus bar through the cut-out and mount it to the box main body. Thus, the peripheral wall of the connector housing portion is separated by the cut-out in a circumferential direction, and the peripheral wall is easily spread out by the connector. Thus, fitting stability of the connector is deteriorated, and dustproof and waterproof performance of the peripheral wall is also deteriorated.
Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. H10-322855 also proposes that the peripheral wall of the connector housing portion is enclosed by a holding member from outside, and thereby the peripheral wall is prevented from being spread out. When the holding member is provided, however, it increases the number of components and assembly processes. In addition, the peripheral wall to which the connector directly contacts remains separated, and then a gap might be caused between the peripheral wall and the holding member depending on dimension accuracy of the peripheral wall and the holding member, thus putting a limit to effect of strength improvement and ensuring of fitting stability.